What does דֶּרֶךְ · חַי mean in the Bible?
דֶּרֶךְ · חַי is a Hebrew phrase meaning "path of life, route leading to preservation".
Hebrew · H1870, H2416
דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים
A road (as trodden ); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb · alive ; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong ; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
דֶּרֶךְ H1870 a road (as trodden ); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
Pronunciation derek
Path literally walked becomes metaphor for life's moral and spiritual trajectory; covenant-defining directional term
Open lexicon entry →
חַי H2416 alive ; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong ; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively
Pronunciation ḥay
Life principle extending from physical vitality (raw, fresh, strong) to covenantal presence and relational aliveness with God.
Open lexicon entry →
What does דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים (derekh hachayyim) mean in the Bible?
דֶּרֶךְ · חַי is a Hebrew phrase meaning "path of life, route leading to preservation".
Full entry for דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים (H1870, H2416) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H1870, H2416?
H1870, H2416 is connected to 1,215 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. path of life, route leading to preservation
Strong's H1870, H2416
Lexical occurrences 1,215 verses Source Gloss
path of life, route leading to preservation
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
דֶּרֶךְ הַחַיִּים is built from this root:
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain